The sport of wakeboarding is very similar to the sports of waterskiing, kneeboarding, and tubing. A wakeboarder or person riding a wakeboard is towed behind the boat by a rope. Typically, waterskiing, kneeboarding, and tubing use a rope secured to a stern mount on either or both sides of the motor of the boat. However, in the sport of wakeboarding, the rope is typically attached to a mount connected to a tower cross member. The mount on the tower provides a much higher connection point for the tow rope and provides vertical component force on the tow rope held by a wakeboarder thus allowing the wakeboarder to more easily perform aerial stunts and maneuvers. That is, the wakeboarding experience is improved by use of a tow point that is elevated as compared to the elevation of tow points used for waterskiing.
The provision of a tower having an elevated tow point interferes with the use of conventional bimini covers of the type used on boats having a low tow point. Attempts have been made to incorporate bimini or other sun-shielding, covers with wakeboard towers having an elevated tow point. Such covers are not integrated with the tower and are useable at times when the boat is not in use to pull a wakeboarder. However, as the covers can interfere with the elevated tow point of the wakeboard tower, they are generally unsuitable for use when the tow point is in use. This results in undesired sun exposure and other undesirable circumstances resulting from the lack of a cover while the boat is in use to pull a wakeboarder. Accordingly, what is desired is an improved sun cover that can be installed onto a conventional wakeboard tower and not interfere with the tow point.
The disclosure advantageously provides an improved sun cover for installation onto a boat tower such as a wakeboard tower having a pair of opposed legs and at least one structural member extending between upper portions of the legs and a tow point extending upwardly from the tower.
In one aspect, the sun cover includes a frame having a forward portion including an elevated central portion, and a rear portion located adjacent to and immediately behind the forward portion, with the entirety of the rear portion being spaced relative to, that is, either above or below the elevated central portion. A gap is defined relative to, that is, above or below a trailing portion of the forward portion and a leading portion of the rear portion of the frame. A mount is provided that mounts the frame to the tower and fixedly orients the frame relative to the tower so that the tow point is accessible via the gap such that a tow tope connected to the tow point extends rearwardly from the tow point via the gap and the cover does not interfere with a tow rope attached to the tow point during use of the boat to pull a person being towed by the boat using the tow rope.